The Dead Sea Scrolls are among the most significant artifacts of the Ancient Near East. In this special article that first appeared online at the Baptist Press, Benjamin Hawkins shows how the Dead Sea Scrolls speak to the reliability of the Bible. The Dead Sea Scrolls are currently being exhibited at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, where Hawkins is a PhD. student. The Scrolls are also on display in New York City in a magnificent display presented by The Franklin Institute.

When a Bedouin shepherd discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls in
Israel in the 1940s, few people immediately understood their importance. After
taking the scrolls back to his camp, this shepherd left one of them on the
ground to be torn apart by children, while one person reportedly used another
scroll fragment to wipe a baby's bottom.